Retiree Medical Benefits

As of 2018, the City of Fort Worth offers pre-65 retirees two medical plans: the Health Center Plan and the Consumer Choice Plan.

The city currently subsidizes 100% of the premium for retirees hired before Oct. 5, 1988. Retirees hired between Oct. 5, 1988, and Dec. 31, 2008 are subsidized 33% for five to 15 years of service, 67% for 15-25 years of service, and 100% for 25 years of service.

Medicare Retirees

When an employee turns 65 years of age and is eligible for Medicare, they should enroll in the Medicare Advantage PPO or HMO plan.

If you turn 65 and are eligible for Medicare, please send a copy of your Medicare Card to the Benefits Office using the contact information on the right side of this page, so you can be enrolled into the city’s Medicare Retiree Health Plan.

If you turn 65 and are not eligible for Medicare, but your spouse is eligible for Medicare; please call 1-800-772-1213 or visit www.socialsecurity.gov to determine what options are available to you.

Failure to enroll into Part B when you reach age 65 will result in your being charged a 10% penalty (by Social Security) for every 12 month period you did not enroll and your enrollment would be delayed until July 1st of the year you enrolled during January through March. This can also result in increased payments for medical services while you await your effective enrollment into Part B in July.

Working retirees

Because eligible retirees pay little or nothing for their health care, if working retirees are eligible for benefits with their current employer, they must leave the city’s plan and elect for coverage for themselves and their spouse with their current employer.

However, should the retiree lose coverage or leave that job, they can return to the city’s plan within a 30 day time period. Note that the city has delayed the elimination of coverage for spouses of active employees for further study this year, to evaluate the potential loss of premium level compared to claims costs.

Eligibility for retiree benefits

An eligible Retiree is one:

Who has retired and is receiving pension disbursements from the City of Fort Worth Retirement System; or

Who has vested, but who has not elected to begin distribution.

Retiree’s spouse, common law spouse, child of an enrolled retiree who is a natural child, foster child, stepchild, grandchild, domestic partner’s child, legally adopted child or child under the retiree’s legal guardianship or custodianship.

Dependent certification

In order to add your dependents to your plan, you need to supply Human Resources with the required forms of proof of relationship status. Unless otherwise indicated, all documentation should be originals.

Below are the documents required for each dependent type:

Spouse

Marriage license

Tax return from the previous year

If common law: Declaration and Registration of Informal Marriage available at the county clerk’s office

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### Disabled Dependent Children age 26 or over
- A completed Dependent Eligibility Questionnaire verifying an ongoing total disability.
- Written documentation from a physician verifying an ongoing disability may be required.
## Death Benefit
All City of Fort Worth retirees are eligible for a $5,000 benefit payable to their beneficiary upon their death. The benefit is paid through the Fort Worth Employee's Retirement Fund.